Home     Contact Us    
Main Board Job Seeker's Board Job Wanted Board Resume Bank Company Board Word Help Medquist New MTs Classifieds Offshore Concerns VR/Speech Recognition Tech Help Coding/Medical Billing
Gab Board Politics Comedy Stop Health Issues
ADVERTISEMENT




Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Why are you SM tellling me not to post here? Is this a warning because this is a false website? nm

Posted By: ss on 2008-03-04
In Reply to: not sold - stolen - sm

I think the few of us who are here need some straight answers. Sold, Stolen, Hijacked, Owned by a Foreign Country?? What is the truth?


Complete Discussion Below: marks the location of current message within thread

    The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
    To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu


    Other related messages found in our database

    just me, does that company have a website? If so, would you post it please?


    that's OK, it's only my 2nd post on this website, I need to think of a good moniker!nm
    ddd
    False!
    We have a few of "those types" up heyah in Maine.  Their sveltness can be attributed to either poverty and lack of groceries, hard liquor, heroin or crystal meth, or all of the above.  It's pretty sad actually.
    this is false
    according to Snopes, this e-mail has been passed around since 2004 and there has yet to be one documented report of this actually happening. More junk e-mail.
    My dad's false teeth!
    OK, I admit it's weird. My dad had false teeth made for him courtesy of the Veteran's Administration. (Had all of his teeth pulled courtesy of the Army in WWII.) But dad would never wear his teeth. He hated them, and being toothless never seemed to slow him down. It was a real sight to see him eat corn on the cob, but he did it! His government issue teeth were always in our medicine cabinet in the bathroom, and he changed the water everyday and dropped in a fresh Efferdent tab. I only remember him wearing his teeth two days, for my h.s. graduation and on my 21st birthday.
    My dad was a quirky guy, but he was tremendously generous and a wonderful father. He died shortly after my 21st birthday. I have a sentimental attachment to his false teeth, and I should probably see a psychiatrist about that, but for now, I keep his false teeth in their container in my medicine cabinet, and they've been there for 24 years. (OK. Go ahead and collectively say, "Ewwwwwww.")
    True or False: Any woman who...
    A single digit dress size is guaranteed a middle class existance as long as she doesn't get pregnant and has 'second generation' middle class values.
    Have friend who has false front tooth. Can be done. Looks
    xxx
    Anyone wear false eyelashes? question sm

    Is there a trick to wearing them so they don't look obviously fake? 


    I have never tried them but considering it. 


    Have had too many eye problems in the past year from reactions to different types of mascara but I have white blonde eyelashes.  Need a little something.


    Thanks


    Stupid question - false eyelashes sm
    How do you keep from ripping out your own eyelashes when you take the false ones off?

    Just soak the glue off with water before trying to remove them?
    MTSO made false accusations
    Yes, it was a small company and the owner trained me to manage things while she would be away on vacations. I worked 12+ hours 5 and 6 days a week and told her at the time that some day I would have a life so I would not work that kind of hours forever. A year-and-a-half later I told her I wanted to only work 8-10 hours a day and she had gotten used to the freedom of me covering for her every whim...

    She retaliated by calling the law and saying that my boyfriend had beaten me up and left me for dead and that she'd seen me snorting drugs up my nose. Fortunately, I had been out of town the weekend she was talking about and had gas receipts to prove it.

    The investigator went to my kindergartner child's school and interviewed her there first and nobody had to tell me about it. I found out when my child told me. Then I tried calling the Child Protection people to see why they pulled my child out of school and it was a couple days after that call that they finally made it to my house.

    Meanwhile, for two days my child's teacher looked at me as if I were some criminal, but it all washed out in the end...
    There is enough to make you worry, without being given false information. Keep us posted!
    x
    NOT TRUE!! Just went to a link and it is a FALSE RUMOR. How horrible..nm
    m
    False Information- TAIB (Maine) is not associated with Synthescribe in any way!
    just wanted to (hopefully) clear something up. Although I know this is an older post, I am sure that I am not the only Transcriptionist who searches the archives when deciding on whether to apply/interview with a company.

    I spoke to Penny Jackson Pray, President/Owner of Transcription at its Best, Inc. in Maine. I asked Ms. Jackson Pray about these references, and she is adamant that she is not, nor has she ever been, associated or affiliated in any way with any other transcription company, including Synthescribe.

    It's very important that, when we're making these postings, we are as specific and thorough (educated) as possible, as - in this case - a company's reputation has been unfairly tarnished.

    After speaking with Penny, I truly believe that TAIB is a well-run, stable, US-based company that does not offshore.

    Ms. Jackson Pray has previously made this posting, although it posted separately from this thread and may be easily overlooked:

    "Please note that my company Transcription At Its Best, Inc. is not associated with any other company with this name. This is the recent posting to which I refer --

    Please run from this company. This is really an undercover name for Synthescribe, which operates out of TN. They will hire you and fire all their employees without notice. If you want a stable job, don't even waste your time with them. You will only be disappointed.

    AGAIN THIS IS NOT TAIB in MAINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Thank you Penny Jackson Pray - Owner/President"

    (http://forum.mtstars.com/seeker/v/1/6301.html)


    Again, I just ask that we (posters) be a little more careful and thorough in our descriptions before we slam companies; and also that, as job seekers, we make our own educated, informed decisions- based on our own research.

    I have been offered a position with this company and, should I accept it, I will follow up with my experiences.
    False. I'm sure there are plenty of skinny dim bulbs living in poverty
    s
    Warning - this is sad and somewhat discouraging

    This has been a terrible and tragic week for our town.  A first grader that goes to my son's school was killed last Friday when he was crossing his street to go home after he had chased after his dog.  It happened right after school and a bus load of children were there to witness this scene.  Then, just 3 days later a former teacher of my daughter lost her 24-year-old son in a car accident. The accident was caused by another driver who crossed the center line.  They were both killed. 


    My daughter just came home from the funeral home and is understandably very upset.  She went with her older cousin who also had this teacher and went to school with her son.  My daughter is 16 and has been begging me to allow her to get her permit, which I have been putting off due to the fact that I am terrified of the whole driving thing with her.  I lost a very close friend in high school due to a car accident, which is probably part of the reason.  I also know at least 3 people who have lost their young children to car accidents.  When she was telling me about his mother hugging her tight and not letting go tonight, I broke down into tears and told her that I didn't want her to drive, that I was scared.  So, now she has stormed upstairs and both of us are in tears.  I just don't know what to do.  I know I can't keep her from driving forever.  I just feels 16 and 17 year olds are simply not mature enough.  My boys are 8 and 4 and I know someday I will face this with them to and go through the same thing.  


    She came down a bit ago and I told her that I wasn't saying she couldn't get her license, but that I was just worried and didn't feel she was quite ready yet.  Am I completely wacko or are these normal feelings for parents of driving-aged kids?


    Warning: spoilers

    That's an interesting thought - about Ben using the smoke monster to spy on people. It has also been used to kill people (Mr. Eko) so it's pretty powerful. But then, Ben doesn't seem to hesitate to kill when it serves his purpose.


    I don't trust Juliette - I think they left her behind as a spy. And from the previews, so does Sayid. Maybe we will find out a little more next week (ha!).


    Wasn't it interesting that Kate met up with Sawyer's ex-GF? So many connections that the other people don't know about - Sawyer meeting Jack's dad, Claire being Jack's half-sister....


    And what about Sun's pregnancy? I know it's early days yet, but surely she should have morning sickness or something, just to remind people that she is pregnant.


    I think Nikki at least (and maybe Paolo) got out of the grave and covered it back up so the others wouldn't know they're alive. For what purpose, I don't know....but somehow I don't think we've seem the last of them.


     How pathetic is my life that I spend so much time thinking about a TV show???


     


    Another warning about windows being down
    I had a friend whose husband had the passenger's side window down and the dog was in the front seat.  He was on a leash, but he tried to get some fresh air (small dog as well), he slipped and fell out of the window and was hung by the leash when the husband (while driving) tried to "yank" him back in.  He has never gotten over it.  Another word to the wise - I wonder if this could be just as much of a distraction as talking on a cell phone while driving.  If I had a dog, I think he/she would be in the back seat, and I would literally treat him/her more like a child and belt the animal in to be safe.  Sorry to hear of the loss in your life.  It must have been devastating. 
    Warning: gross

    Sometimes when I've popped a really big one, that night I will dream about little white worms coming out of my skin.


    Yuck yuck yuck yuck yuck!


    Singulair warning
    I wanted to let people know about my experience with Singulair for my 7-1/2-year-old son. He started taking it in mid September after his first asthma attack in several years. We started noticing that his behavior was getting out of control, matching symptoms of oppositional defiance disorder. He told me he wished he had never been born, and once when he was raging, he threatened to chop my toes off with a hatchet. I have been completely stressed by all of this, and it has caused great stress in my marriage. We unexpectedly stayed out of town for a couple of days and did not give him the Singulair, and unbelievably his behavior began to be more normal. Since then, I have found out about many other instances of children having psychiatric disorders caused by Singulair, some even to the point of committing suicide, and my nephew has also just been taken off of this medication due to behavioral problems. I know that not very person will have such severe side effects, but in our case, we will not ever give this to him again. It has been almost a week since he stopped Singulair, and I am so grateful to have my little boy back to being himself.
    fair warning!!!! :)
    The Wii is a blast! We bought one last year. Last week I bought Dance Dance Revolution 2 for it. It is extremely hard even on beginner! It will literally wear you out and if you are as out of shape as I am, plan on being very sore! LOL I really do like the Wii and plan on getting the fit later this summer. For us, it's something the entire family loves, except the b/f refuses to do the Dance Dance Revolution. LOL

    Congrats on your quitting smoking! We are starting that as well. My b/f just started the Nicoderm patch. If he doesn't have too many side effects from it and it seems to work okay, I'm going to start it in a few weeks. I'm currently just cutting back right now. Cigarettes are getting so darn expensive. Marlboro are over $5 a pack and the fed tax increase of $0.62 starts April 1st. Illinois is trying to pass $1 tax on top of that. Pretty soon it's gonna be $7 for a pack of cigarettes. We've had enough.

    Sorry to ramble! :)

    Good luck to everyone quitting!
    Warning. Technique inside.
    He would lay down, grab is nuts in his mouth and kick his leg (like he was scratching) until the deed was done. How he first figured this out, who knows!!!  LOL
    Halloween candy warning

     HALLOWEEN CANDY RECALLED


    There is a new warning put out by the Canadian Food Inspection
     Agency....

    Sherwood brand Pirate's Gold Milk Chocolate coins are being
    recalled due to the fact that they contain Mel amine, the ingredient in milk
    product that has caused many infant deaths in china. These candies are
    sold at Costco, as well as many bulk and dollar stores. please make sure to
    check your childrens halloween candy and DO NOT LET THEM EAT THE
    PIRATE COINS (you know the ones wrapped in the shiny gold foil) and
    please let other parents know about this!


     


    Neighbor. son, problem (warning: long)

    I have a neighbor with a 6-year-old boy.  The little boy is an only child and lives an extremely structured lifestyle with some sort of activity scheduled every night, i.e. soccer, church group, Boy Scouts, etc.  The little boy gets very little unstructured time to play with the children in the neighborhood, but when he does he is constantly demanding the children play on his terms and tattles on the children constantly, even when they truly did nothing wrong. 


     


    However, here’s the problem….some of the children in the children are older, ranging from 4th  to 7th in this particular group.  Whenever the little boy is around the older children are constantly being reprimanded by his mother to play with him and play with him “nicely,” as she puts it.  This particular group of boys (one, of course, being my son) try to include him as much as possible, but they do get annoyed with this tattling and his mother, so they usually take off down the road or something to skateboard, etc.  Now, the problem has become mine because evidently I get to hear every morning and every afternoon about something one of the children did.  She has gone as far as to reprimand me prior for not standing outside during playtime and not forcing my children to be involved in the church group.  In my defense, I am widowed with 2 children who are 8 and 10 and through the 10-year-old’s counselor (the counselor is not for behavior but for dealing with his father’s death and guy things, etc) I have been told that I am to allow them more freedom and not to be under foot all the time.  Nevertheless, the truth is that I am sick of being told how to parent and judged constantly.  I have spoken to my son on several occasions in private, but it has gotten to the point now that every single day there is something, in her eyes, that my son has said or done that offends her son.  Yesterday, it was my son said “that guy acts gay” and she gave me a huge lecture on this.  Well, I certainly did not teach him that and I know for a fact he truly does not even know the full meaning of this, but she just condemned me up and down for this.  I know that children learn a lot of things at school and have no true meaning of their content, but does she not think this same thing will happen to her at one point?  I am at the point where I think it would be best if she just did not allow her son to be around the kids at all if there is nothing she likes anyhow.  She is always making comments, etc. and I am just tired of being reprimanded for children being children.


     


     I feel like a total failure and just this second, as I am crying this and typing this, she called and left a message “I just wanted you to know that my son is Star Student of the Week and even though your son barely pays any attention to him at all, he still wants to bring a picture of him to show his classmates.  Isn’t he just the sweetest child you know?”  This is transcribed verbatim.  Please tell me how to handle this neighbor and make nice, because right now I am depressed and angry at the same time.  My son is a good boy, although he does do things I may not be particularly thrilled about, but he is a boy and trying to grow up.  He is not racist, he does snot discriminate, does not break the law.  He is trustworthy and respectful to adults and I get compliments all the time about what a good kid he is, so why is it that I feel terrible about failing him as a mother at this point?  I just do not want to constantly reprimand my son for saying something she thinks is inappropriate or mean, nor do I wish her to do that with my child.  Suggestions, please!!!!!! 


    I've had problems with security warning pop-ups...

    and no matter what I change my settings to, I still get them.  There is no "Don't snow this again" option either. I get them while working on a Sten-Tel platform.  It really slows me down, as I have to do some things several times before they actually go through.  It also adds another toolbar...just what we all need.  That just cuts down the viewable size on your monitor. 


    I tried to get IE6 back, which you can't do even with a system restore, but then read about the mandatory automatic "upgrade" so quit trying to get rid of IE7.  Hopefully they may issue some fixes. 


    Should formula cans have a warning that it's better to breastfeed

    Read this article in a Parenting magazine. It's NOT a debate or question to which is best.


    Should formula cans have a warning that it's better to breastfeed


    While I am a big believer in Breastfeeding, I would never make anyone feel guilty for formula feeding. It's any mother's choice as to what is best for them and the baby. I personally could never have worked and breastfed at the same time!


    46% said Yes 54% said No.


    Small dog owners Please Read my warning

    Yesterday, a lady was driving down our hill with her little doxie in the front seat of the van. I don't think the dog was even a year old yet. Anyway, she sideswiped a telephone pole which put her out of control, her airbags went off, and she couldn't see with all that white powder flying around, and she wound up in a drainage ditch. When the airbags went off, they struck her dog and killed him. Although our neighbor is a nurse and tried CPR, the poor thing had broken ribs which probably punctured his lungs.


    So, what I'm saying is if you're going to take your dog for rides, please put them in the back seat, preferably with doggie seat belts, not the front seat.  I could barely sleep last night over this.  I feel so bad for the poor dog. It didn't have to happen. The lady was so upset over it and feeling so guilty, it took us over 2 hours to get her calmed down.


    Severe warning about dangerous dog-toys!!

    I came across this blog today on Craigslist:  http://www.thechaistory.blogspot.com/


    And if you have a dog, it's a must-see.  It details what happened to a dog that was severely injured by a dog toy called a "Pimple Ball" made by Four Paws, Inc.  The dog ended up losing his tongue, and the pain he had to endure was excruciating. 


    The dog's owner relates that the Four Paws Co. hasn't owned up to the fact that its toy is dangerous, and he's calling for a international boycott of Four Paws, Inc.  After watching his video links of his poor dog's suffering, even though I have cats, I plan to be sure I don't purchase ANYTHING from this company, andhopefully you won't either.



     


    Important addendum to rabies warning below:

    (Aaaaggghhh!!!  Somebody just SHOOT me!!!) 


    I guess I'm going to be changing veterinarians soon.... here's an update to the post below:


    The oral pain/anti-inflammatory my cat was prescribed (which thank God I didn't give her without researching it!), is "Metacam" (meloxicam) oral suspension.  The article below is from the rescue where I got my cat.  Thank goodness I checked their website just now! 


    I was wrong about her vomiting BEFORE we went to the vet.  It was last night, which was about 8-10 hours AFTER being given one dose of Metacam p.o.  (This was an off-label treatment, as the oral suspension is for DOGS.)  Since it was given in the vet's office directly into her mouth, and she weighs less than 10 lbs.,  she most likely had an OVERDOSE, which is why she vomited up her dinner in every room of the house lase night.  The drug had been prescribed to help bring down the inflammation in the area of her lesion and fluid aspiration.   But among other things, this drug can cause kidney failure in cats.  "No, thanks!"   I lost a cat to renal failure a few years back, and it took me 3 years to pay off the over $5,000 in vet bills I'd put on my MasterCard!  And the cat still had to be put down, anyway. 


    So, here I've been spending the morning researching veterinary literature, checking my pet-insurance coverage limits, and biting my nails about the possible damage I might have done to my cat simply by trying to keep her up-to-date on her shots.   I'm just about to change my pet-care-policy to "no more shots and no more meds"!


    Here's the article:


    Metacam Risks in Cats


    What is Metacam?


    Metacam ® is the veterinary brand name for meloxicam,,a


    non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)used to reduce


    pain and inflammation.This article deals with two versions:


    Metacam Solution for Injection (for cats)and Metacam Oral


    Suspension (for dogs).


    Metacam ’s FDA Approval Status


    Metacam Solution for Injection was approved for one-time


    use only in cats on 28 Nov 2004 (NADA 141-219).Metacam


    Oral Suspension was approved for dogs only on 15 Apr 2003


    (NADA 141-213).As of July 2006,the approval status of both


    medications has not changed.


    There is a misconception that using medications in a non-


    FDA-approved fashion is illegal.This is simply not so;the FDA


    regulates drug manufacturers,not the practice of veterinary


    medicine.Veterinarians may prescribe any drugs they have


    reason to believe are safe and effective,even if the particular


    use is not FDA approved (this practice is known as "off-label "


    or "extralabel " use)).However,you and your cat do not have


    any FDA assurance that the drug is safe and effective.


    Common uses of Metacam in Cats


    Metacam is commonly used in cats for two cases:


    (a)Metacam Solution for Injection (or simply "Metacam


    Injection ")is used to provide post-operative relief of pain and


    inflammation for up to 24 hours following procedures such as


    dentistry,spaying and neutering.Vets often prescribe a few


    daily follow-up doses of Metacam Oral for continued pain


    relief,although this is not an FDA approved use.


    (b)Metacam Oral Suspension (or simply "Metacam Oral ")is


    often prescribed to relieve arthritis pain in cats.Although this


    is also not an FDA approved use,it is known to be effective,


    albeit with some risk.


    Low Safety Margin =Higher Risks


    According to the manufacturer ’s product sheet 1 ,Metacam has


    a narrow margin of safety (also known as therapeutic index )


    in cats,meaning that there is very little difference between a


    safe,effective dose and a toxic dose.Repeated doses of


    Metacam Oral in cats have been known to result in death,as


    documented in the clinical tests 3 submitted to the FDA.


    The narrow safety margin in cats is reflected in the FDA ’s


    Adverse Drug Experience (ADE)reports 4 for Metacam Oral,


    which summarize drug side effects reported by veterinarians.


    Of 842 reports for dogs,19 cases of kidney failure and no


    deaths were reported.However in 320 cats,105 cases of


    kidney failure,48 deaths and 35 cases resulting in euthanasia


    have been reported.This clearly indicates that Metacam poses


    a much greater risk in cats than in dogs.


    The use of Metacam poses not only a significant health risk to


    the cat,but also exposes the cat owner to significant financial


    risk.The treatment of kidney failure requires days of hospitalization,


    and the outcome may be death.Whether the cat survives or


    not,the hospital bill can easily exceed $1,000.


    Because of Metacam ’s narrow safety margin,veterinarians


    will order blood tests to check your cat ’s kidney and liver


    functions and general state of health.Don ’t try to save money


    by refusing these tests;it ’s essential to know if your cat is at


    greater risk.Should side effects occur,your vet is likely to


    order another round of tests to check the drug ’s impact on


    your cat.Be prepared for these costs.


    Problems with Smaller Cats


    The post-surgical use of Metacam Oral in smaller cats (under


    10 lbs.)poses a unique problem.The product sheet for Metacam


    Oral 2 warns against administering the drug directly into the


    mouth for dogs weighing less than 10 lbs,as this may cause


    an accidental overdose.Instead,it must be mixed with food to


    ensure slower absorption.The Metacam Injection used during


    surgery may cause loss of appetite,and the cat won ’t eat his


    oral dose.So you ’re likely to try to administer the dose directly


    into the mouth,but if your cat weighs less than 10 lbs.(and


    many do),this only increases the risk of overdose.


    Questions for your Vet


    Given the clearly documented risks of Metacam Oral in cats,it


    is wise to ask your veterinarian the following questions if he or


    she recommends its use:


     Are my cat ’s blood tests (especially liver &kidney functions)OK?


     What side effects should I look out for?


     Under what conditions should I discontinue the medication?


     Who do I call on evenings or weekends if my cat has a reaction?


     Is there a 24-hour emergency animal hospital in the area?


     May I have copies of the Metacam product sheets?


     Persians are a more delicate breed,are you sure this is safe?


     My cat weighs less than 10 pounds,are you sure this is safe?


     What other pain medications are FDA-approved in cats?


     What pain medications were you using prior to Metacam Oral ’s


    release in 2003?


     Are these medications safer and/or cheaper than Metacam?


    Conclusion


    There are clearly documented risks associated with the off-


    label use of Metacam Oral in cats which may lead to kidney


    failure and death.These risks should be carefully discussed


    with your veterinarian before proceeding with any Metacam


    treatment.For post-operative pain relief,explore other alternatives


    with your veterinarian before agreeing to the use of Metacam.


    Acronyms


    ADE Adverse Drug Experience


    FDA The United States Food and Drug Administration


    NADA New Animal Drug Application


    References


    [1 ]Product sheet:Metacam Solution for Injection for Cats


    Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica,Inc.(revised October 2004)


    http://www.bi-vetmedica.com/product_sites/METACAMINCats/documents/Metacam_Cat_RP.pdf


    [2 ]Product sheet:Metacam Oral Suspension for Dogs


    Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica,Inc.(revised January 2005)


    http://www.bi-vetmedica.com/product_sites/METACAMORAL/documents/Metacam_Oral_Susp_rp.pdf


    [3 ]Freedom of Information Summary for Supplemental NADA 141-219


    (Metacam 5 mg/mL Solution for Injection for cats),28 October 2004


    FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine


    See "Tolerance Study in Cats on Meloxicam ",pp.24-26


    http://www.fda.gov/cvm/FOI/141-219s102804.pdf


    [4 ]Adverse Drug Experiences (ADE)Report,9 June 2006


    FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine


    See "meloxicam oral ",pp.48-64


    http://www.fda.gov/cvm/Documents/ade_web_rpts_MN.pdf


    Metacam ® is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica,,Inc.


     


     


    Braces...Warning...there's a rant a'commin
    I HATE THEM!!! I'm about to call the orthodontist and tell him I've given up, my teeth are just fine now and I WANT THEM OFF!!! I'm so sick of worrying about staining my teeth. I've become "obsessive" about brushing. I hate the fact that I'm constantly "tonguing" them and worried about having stuff stuck in them. I don't smile anymore. I don't like to go in public. HATE pictures cuz I don't smile with my teeth and I look like a moron when I smile with my mouth shut. I miss my baby carrots and broccoli. Sandwiches are absolutely impossible. Just all in all a horrible experience and I wish I never would have gotten them...

    Sorry and thank you for your time...lol
    Who saw the Lost seasone finale? (warning: spoilers)

    I can't believe Charlie really died. For a good cause, okay, and he was never my favorite character, but I feel really sorry for Claire.


    And what do these people want, these ones on the frieghter? Obviously from Jack's "flash forward", leaving the island now is not a good idea. Why? What does Ben know? Who sent the ship? Penny's father?


    It's beginning to look like Locke has a point about not leaving the island. Maybe they are meant to be there. Maybe there is something that they can only accomplish toether. But what?


    Hurley was so cool, coming to the rescue in his VW bus. Go Hurley!!


    Other thoughts or speculations?


    Aqua Dots toys contain poison - a warning.

    Millions of toys recalled; contain 'date rape' drug


    Two U.S. children went into comas after swallowing Chinese-made Aqua Dots found to contain a chemical that converts into 'date rape' drug when ingested.






    WASHINGTON (AP) -- Millions of Chinese-made toys have been pulled from shelves in North America and Australia after scientists found they contain a chemical that converts into a powerful date rape drug when ingested. Two children in the United States and three in Australia were hospitalized after swallowing the beads.


    With only seven weeks until Christmas, the recall is yet another blow to the toy industry - already bruised by a slew of recalls this past summer.



    aqua_dots_recall1.03.jpg




    Video








    Cold
    Child deaths have prompted FDA hearings on the safety of cold and cough medicines. CNN's Elizabeth Cohen reports





    In the United States, the toy goes by the name Aqua Dots, a highly popular holiday toy distributed by Toronto-based Spin Master Toys. They are called Bindeez in Australia, where they were named toy of the year at an industry function earlier this year.


    It could not immediately be learned whether Aqua Dots beads are made in the same factories as the Bindeez product. Both are sold by Australia-based Moose Enterprises.


    The toy beads are sold in general merchandise stores and over the Internet for use in arts and crafts projects. They can be arranged into designs and fused together when sprayed with water.


    Scientists say a chemical coating on the beads, when ingested, metabolizes into the so-called date rape drug gamma hydroxy butyrate. When eaten, the compound - made from common and easily available ingredients - can induce unconsciousness, seizures, drowsiness, coma and death.


    Naren Gunja from Australia's Poisons Information Center said the drug's effect on children was "quite serious ... and potentially life-threatening."


    The recall was announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission on Wednesday several hours after published reports about the recall in Australia.



    The two U.S. children who swallowed Aqua Dot beads went into nonresponsive comas, commission spokesman Scott Wolfson said Wednesday afternoon.


    In Australia, the toys were ordered off store shelves on Tuesday when officials learned that a 2-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl were hospitalized after swallowing the beads. A 19-month-old toddler also was being treated.


    The news jolted the toy industry because Aqua Dots has been one of the few bright stars of the toy selling season, which, along with overall retailing, has gotten off to a sluggish start. The item, which had been heavily advertised, had appeared on many toy experts' list of must-have holiday toys, and toy sellers are now in the midst of canceling advertising and scrambling to figure out how to replace it.


    Chris Byrne, a New York-based toy consultant, noted that the incidents could have been isolated, and Spin Master may be erring on the side of caution.


    "This is something that they could not have foreseen. This is an extremely hot toy. ... It's a little scary," Byrne said.


    In a statement, Toys "R" Us Inc., said that it issued on Tuesday a "stop sale" on the entire Spin Master Aqua Dots product line in its North American stores and on its Web site after it learned of the news. "We understand that Spin Master and U.S. regulatory authorities are investigating this product and we have asked Spin Master to fully explain what it believes happened," said the toy seller in a statement.


    Meanwhile, a separate recall was announced for 405,000 children's products made in China, most of them toy cars, because of dangerous levels of lead.


    The recall includes about 380,000 Pull-Back Action Toy Cars imported by Dollar General Merchandising Inc. of Goodlettsville, Tenn., and 7,500 Dragster and Funny Car toys imported by International Sourcing Ltd. of Springfield, Mo.


    Four of the recalled products were imported by Schylling Associates Inc. of Rowley, Mass., including the items Duck Family Collectable Wind-Up Toy, Dizzy Ducks Music Box, "Robot 2000" collectable tin robot and Winnie-the-Pooh Spinning Top. The company recalled another 66,000 spinning tops Aug. 22.


    Representatives from Schylling Associates Inc. were not immediately available for comment.


    Wednesday's recalls include about 7,200 "Big Red" Wagons imported by Northern Tool & Equipment Co. of Burnsville, Minn. Totaling about 405,700, the recalled children's products all had excessive levels of lead in their surface paint.


    Although no illnesses connected to the toy car recall have been reported, lead is toxic if ingested by young children. Children's products found to have more than 0.06 percent lead accessible to users are subject to a recall. Top



    You need to read sticky warning at the top of Politics board.
    "let people express his or her opinion and move on"

    Use the Golden Rule, don't go over there if you get headache, stay on MT boards.
    Ancestry.Com Needs a Surgeon General's Addiction Warning Box
    Is to get one of those Ancestry charts online where you put in each person in a family tree. You can then click on 2 people's names and see exactly how they're related to each other.
    I couldn't live in the same house with do-nothing people! Warning bells there!! nm
    s
    Child Protective Services needs a call about this situation. This has a big red warning
    s
    Design Star - warning West Coasters: spoiler
    Did anybody ever doubt it would be Kim? Woohoo!!!
    Oh SOOO cute. But please read inside for a warning (I'm a dog owner) sm

    Puppies develop habits really quickly, so discourage licking the can thing.  Mine would get cans out of the garbage and one had a cut edge and he terrribly cut his mouth and tongue.  I felt like such a careless dog mom.  A true accident, but now maybe I can help you prevent the same thing?  Please excuse my post... I am not a know-it-all and I actually don't like it when someone posts something lighthearted and then someone (like me) gets kind of off topic in the thread with a reply like this one, but maybe it will help you prevent an accident.  But this is an adorable picture and I love your puppy. 


    I put *warning, graphic* in the subject field, but apparently it didn't show up. nm
    n
    If you want to do something, go to this website:
    http://www.americanidol.com/

    Yes, it's American Idol, but it's called American Idol Gives Back. If you want to save 4 children from dying from Malaria, donate $10. Yup, $10 buys enough drugs for 4 kids with Malaria. Bono of U2 is involved, among many others. None of the singers were kicked off tonight, so anybody crying over American Idol tonight is crying over images of dying babies. For real.
    The website

    Alright here it is =) It's a little hard to understand right at first but don't give up!! =)


    http://www.moneysavingmom.com/


    I believe it's under Walgreens 101


    Go to the IRS website
    www.irs.gov, click on rebate info, then click on where's my stimulus payment. It will tell you exactly when you will get it and how much. All you need is your SS#, filing status and number of people claimed on your taxes.
    According to the FTC website...
    you don't have to pay for anything you receive that you did not request.
    Website

    I'll let you know when it's done.  This CPSIA issue has been holding me back some.


     


    is there a website for this; what is it?
    nm
    you did NOT offend hon!! That website....sm

    You did nothing wrong - it's that website is what seems offensive - not the fact you supplied the link to Jewish entertainers/performers.  It *looks* innocent enough until one goes and checks out not only the website itself but the ISP/DNS ownership/registration/sponsorship.  And then to list the ADL (antidefamation league) under HATE GROUPS was the absolute straw -


    I wrote them a letter all about my opinion of that site too!!! 


    Have a GREAT evening!!! 


    Sure, it came from the AFA.net website. AFA stepped up

    to the plate and called several companies (nicely) on the carpet.  Some companies obliged and some didn't.  Over 700,000 people had signed a boycott of Target stores and within a week, Target changed their stance and the boycott ceased.  These companies need to realize that surveys have proven that about 96% of the American population celebrate CHRISTMAS.


    Do you believe there is even a website for this? inside...
    http://www.ehow.com/how_16647_rid-home-crickets.html
    Good website for what you need
    I found a very informative site that I used to find a gift for an elderly aunt who is hard to buy for. This site asks for sex, age, relation to you,etc and full of ideas. Try it at
    wwwfindgift.com.
    Happy shopping!!
    here - you can compare all over at this website..n/m

    i went to the website and I read they only use

    check out this website...

    tops.org


    You can enter your zip code and find a meeting near you.  They are everywhere.  It's just once a week for one hour.  No gimmicks, just a support group of friendly, kind people who can help you through the rough times.  Less than $25 for the entire year plus $3 each month.